EFFECTIVENESS OF STUDDED TIRES

TESTS WERE MADE OF THE LOCKED-WHEEL STOPPING DISTANCES OF FOUR TIRE COMBINATIONS ON GLARE ICE, ON WET AND DRY ASPHALTIC CONCRETE, AND ON WET AND DRY PORTLAND CEMENT CONCRETE PAVEMENTS. IDENTICAL CARS WITH HIGHWAY TREAD TIRES ON FOUR WHEELS, WITH PLAIN SNOW TIRES ON THE REAR WHEELS, WITH STUDDED SNOW TIRES ON THE REAR WHEELS, AND WITH STUDDED SNOW TIRES ON FOUR WHEELS WERE TESTED AT SPEEDS UP TO 50 MPH AND AT TEMPERATURES FROM -5 TO 33 F. ON GLARE ICE, SNOW TIRES GAVE NO CONSISTENT IMPROVEMENT IN STOPPING DISTANCE, COMPARED WITH STANDARD HIGHWAY TIRES. STUDDED TIRES ON THE REAR WHEELS RESULTED IN A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN STOPPING DISTANCE, AND STUDDED TIRES ON ALL FOUR WHEELS RESULTED IN A REDUCTION IN STOPPING DISTANCE THAT WAS MORE THAN TWICE THE REDUCTION WITH STUDS IN THE REAR TIRES ONLY. THE IMPROVEMENTS WERE GREATEST AT ICE TEMPERATURES NEAR THE FREEZING POINT. WHILE THE IMPROVEMENTS DECREASED WITH DECREASING ICE TEMPERATURES, THESE IMPROVEMENTS DID NOT DISAPPEAR AT TEMPERATURES NEAR -5F, AS SUGGESTED BY EARLIER RESEARCH. ON ASPHALT PAVEMENTS, NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN STOPPING DISTANCES WERE FOUND ON EITHER WET OR DRY SURFACES. ON CONCRETE PAVEMENTS, STUDDED TIRES WERE FOUND TO GIVE SMALL BUT SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN STOPPING DISTANCES ON BOTH WET AND DRY SURFACES. /AUTHOR/

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrr/1971/352/352-003.pdf
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309019656
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Sponsored by Task Force on Effect of Studded Tires and presented at the 50th Annual Meeting. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • SMITH, ROBERT W
  • Ewens, W E
  • Clough, Donald J
• Conference:
  • 50th Annual Meeting of the Highway Research Board
  • Location: Washington District of Columbia, United States
  • Date: 1971-1-18 to 1971-1-22
• Publication Date: 1971

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 39-49
• Monograph Title: Studded Tires Versus Pavement Wear and Safety
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 352
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Asphalt concrete; Asphalt pavements; Concrete pavements; Dryness; Freezing; Glare; Ice; Moisture content; Snow tires; Stopping distances; Studded tires; Tires
• Uncontrolled Terms: Dry conditions; Wet conditions
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00221457
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309019656
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Dec 13 1971 12:00AM